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iTunes

Apple recently announced that Apple Podcasts (Apple’s podcast App) for iOS 11 will be updated with new feed tags. Apple states this will allow you to more clearly present show and episode information to your users. Additionally, you can include diverse content and storytelling shows within your podcast (for example, serial shows and shows with seasons).

Podbean has integrated the new iTunes tags into your Podbean dashboard. Please note that these new tags will only take effect (be included in your feed) when iOS11 is released. However, to get your podcast ready to benefit from the iOS11 updates, you can make any changes your desire in your podcast now.

iTunes New Feed Tags Explained

<itunes:type>

The type of podcast you are submitting can be either:

Episodic (default). Specify episodic for stand-alone episodes or when you want your episodes presented and recommended last-to-first. This option also supports seasons, with the newest episode at the top. For new subscribers, Apple Podcasts adds the latest, most recent episode in their Library.

Specify serial when you want your episodes presented and recommended first-to-last. This option supports narratives, storytelling, thematic, and multiple seasons. For new subscribers, Apple Podcasts adds the first episode to their Library, or the entire current season if using seasons.

<itunes:season>

Identifies and organizes episodes by Seasons. No season number shows if there is only one season.

<itunes:episode>

Use this tag to specify the recommended order for episodes within a season.

<itunes:episodeType>

You can indicate certain types of episodes in iTunes using this tag. They are:

Full (default). Specify full when you are submitting the complete content of an episode.

Specify trailer when you are submitting a short, promotional piece of content that represents a preview of a show.

Specify bonus when you are submitting extra content for a show (for example, behind the scenes information or interviews with the cast).

How to Set the New iOS11 iTunes Feed Tags in Podbean

Set Podcast Type: Episodic/Serial:

Go to Settings-Feed/iTunes. Find “iTunes Type”

Choose episodic or serial. Podcasts will be set as episodic by default.

Set Podcast Seasons:

Go to Publish. Click “Publish New Episode” or click the edit icon by any episode. Click “More Options” in the episode editor.

By default, it is set off. Click it on and pick the season for this episode (click “more” to add season 2 and beyond to your drop down menu).

Set Episode Type:

Go to Publish. Click “Publish New Episode” or click the edit icon by any episode. Click “More Options” in the episode editor.

By default, episodes are set to “Full”. Choose “Trailer” or “Bonus” here.

Since many podcast listeners use Apple Podcasts and iOS devices, you may want to provide the direct link to your podcast there. Here’s how to share an iTunes link to your podcast that will automatically launch iTunes:

1. Go to your podcast in the iTunes store, right click on the title and “copy link” (you can also find “copy link” under the subscribe button). Each episode also has copy link and social share options.

3. Another great option is to join the iTunes affiliate program. They offer a link maker,widget builders, etc. With the help of the link maker, you can create a link for your podcast. And, of course, the bonus is that you can earn referral fees for things that people purchase from iTunes after using your link. Read more and apply for the iTunes affiliate program.

Making it easy for potential listeners to get your podcast is so important. For Android users, you can put a Podbean Podcast App link (https://podbean.com/app) on your podcast site and in any of your communications. Once users click the link and download the Podbean Android app, your podcast will automatically be recommended to them in the app.

Once you have submitted your podcast to iTunes, the amount of time until it will be available depends on the iTunes review process. You can check the status of your submission in Podcasts Connect. If there are any errors or you have been rejected, please check the problem and resubmit. You can see a list of reasons for being rejected or removed here. Validation errors can occur for a number of reasons such as “mismatched tags, artwork that does not meet the minimum requirements, or unescaped ampersands”. Podcasts Connect displays validation errors at the top of the new podcast page.

Once your podcast is reviewed and approved by Apple: “you receive an email confirmation indicating your submission review is complete. Your confirmation email also includes the link to your active podcast. The podcast link is live on the iTunes Store shortly after the email is sent. Your podcast is not searchable in the iTunes Store until it is indexed, which can take up to 24 hours.”

How long will it take for my podcast to show up in iTunes? Why aren’t my new episodes showing up in the iTunes store?

Because many listeners use iTunes for podcasts, these are common concerns we hear about from Podbean podcasters. Here’s how to check problems with your podcast updating in iTunes and what kind of timing to expect from iTunes. We recommend you ask listeners to subscribe so they receive your latest episodes and we also strongly recommend you share your podcast site and the Podbean apps as great options for listeners to access your content.

For new submissions to iTunes:
If you have recently submitted your podcast to iTunes, please visit your Podcasts Connect account to check the submission status and any possible errors*. If there are no problems, you can click the “refresh feed” link. Please be patient as iTunes experiences occasional delays.

Please note, as Apple states, “If your podcast is approved, you receive an email confirmation indicating your submission review is complete. Your confirmation email also includes the link to your active podcast. The podcast link is live on the iTunes Store shortly after the email is sent. Your podcast is not searchable in the iTunes Store until it is indexed, which can take up to 24 hours.”

For podcasts already in iTunes experiencing update delays:
Once you have completed the steps to submit your podcast’s RSS feed to iTunes, iTunes and the Apple podcasts app should automatically update when you publish new episodes in Podbean. Apple states it takes up to 24 hours to show new episodes once you add them to your RSS feed, and unfortunately we cannot control any delays with iTunes. Your subscribers in iTunes will get new episodes even if it they’re not showing in the iTunes store yet.

If you don’t see your new episode after 24 hours, check the status of your podcast in Podcasts Connect to ensure there are no feed errors.

iTunes is a popular place for listeners to discover and subscribe to podcasts so for most podcasters, one of the most important early steps is to submit your podcast’s RSS feed to iTunes. Submitting to iTunes is easy when you host on Podbean!
To get a podcast on iTunes, please follow these simple steps:

1. Publish at least one episode with an iTunes supported file format. You may read about how to publish a podcast in Podbean here and which file formats are supported in iTunes here.
2. Set your Podcast title, description, category and logo in your Podbean account’s “Settings” page. Pay close attention to the title, description and author fields as the iTunes Store uses these fields for search. Your Podbean channel logo will be used in iTunes as your podcast cover art. The logo image must meet the iTunes specifications: cover art must be in the JPEG or PNG file formats and in the RGB color space with a minimum size of 1400 x 1400 pixels and a maximum size of 2048 x 2048 pixels. Read more about specifications for podcasts on iTunes.
3. Get your podcast RSS feed by going to Settings->Feed/iTunes in your Podbean dashboard. At the top, you will see “Your RSS feed” (http://yourname.podbean.com/feed/). This is the information you need for iTunes.

4. Go to the iTunes store (you will need to login or create an iTunes store account), find “Podcasts” and on the right sidebar and you will see a list of items including “Submit a Podcast”. Click there and you will be redirected to Podcasts Connect (or go directly to https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/), Apple’s podcast management area. You will have to login with your Apple ID. You can view and manage all the podcasts you’ve submitted here.

Once you register your podcast with iTunes, you will get an iTunes feed ID which you can input in your Feed/iTunes settings in Podbean. Your podcast will then be automatically updated by iTunes.
*Please note that there are sometimes delays with iTunes updating, which we cannot control. If you have subscribers in iTunes, they will get your latest podcast but there may be slight delays in it showing up in iTunes.